It is called TV-Licens, and it is kind of hard to get out of paying. If you go out and buy a TV, you can bet on it that shortly after a bill for TV-Licens will drop down in your mail box. If you get the bill, and don't pay it, it will cause you a lot of trouble in the future. Leaving bills unpaid in Sweden is nothing to take lightly.

When you get the bill you should just email/call (preferebly email, otherwise they will ask some you some dumb questions) them and say that you have sold your tv or that it has broken down. Then those nasty bills will stop coming in and you save yourself some money which could be used for something better other than supporting supporting some leftist tv channels.

Note that those bill will only automatically pop in your mail if you bought your tv new using a credit card. Using cash or buying a used one should not bring you any troublesome bill.

If you get mail from radiotjänst asking you to 'register' your tv, just ignore it. They can't force you to register your tv unless you do it by yourself. If they knock on your door, don't open or hide your tv before you do.

Everyone who owns, rents or borrows a television receiver has to pay a TV Licence fee.

The term "television receiver" includes:

TV sets Video recorders with channel selector Video cameras with channel selector Computers with a TV-card making it possible to receive TV signals DVD player with channel selector Digital TV-selectorA single TV Licence fee is payable for all receivers in one and the same household. The definition of a household includes a second home (holiday/weekend cottage), caravan or temporary accomodation elsewhere.

Students living away from home, registered as residents where they are studying, must pay a separate TV Licence fee.

Sub-tenants must also pay the TV Licence fee. If a TV receiver is included in the sublet, the person who has access to the TV receiver is required by law to register with Radiotjänst.

And this is how they check

We continually visit all households that are not listed in our customer register. We even contact those who have bought or rented a TV receiver, as well as those who have moved and not notified us of TV possession.

Why risk a hefty fine and a criminal record?

Just pay the money 2076SEK per year and no extra charge if you want to pay it monthly for 173

I pay it quarterly. Once I forgot to pay it, I got no reminder ..just a letter from kronofogden! Not good news!!! make sure you pay your quarterly bill as you dont want to get blacklisted for something as minor as a tv licence!

Now there is an interesting business idea ...a service whereby I buy TV's for people to order (in my name) and then immediately resell them to the person who ordered it for cash whose name is then never known by the TV licensing people

Maybe it could be one of the new tax deductable services to get the Swedish economy moving again.

It may come as a surprise to some, but there are quite a number ppl. way out in the sticks who have never had a TV licence, and maybe never will.Any TV related device they purchase is done in the name of another family member who more often than not lives in the city.In the unlikely event they ever get a knock on the door, they also have an excellent second line of defence.

I got one of those bills soon after I registered as living here. I just ignored it (no TV) and no one came to check on me or anything.

If you've a job- pay it. Its not much money. Saves the risk of bother. And Swedish TV is so awful you'll need some other service on top of regular TV which pretty much announces "I'VE GOT A TV!'If you've not- ignore it. The guy needs a search warrant to come in your house anyway. And the chances he'd even turn up are low.

QUOTE

In the unlikely event they ever get a knock on the door, they also have an excellent second line of defence.

Ha,ha,..thought you might ask.Well it doesn't involve a moose gun,...but it well may again involve other family members,... and once again best to be out in the sticks for it to be feasible.Think I'll leave you to work it out,Can't divulge all the tricks of the trade

"A single TV Licence fee is payable for all receivers in one and the same household. The definition of a household includes a second home (holiday/weekend cottage), caravan or temporary accomodation elsewhere"

So you have one family member with a licence and then every other residence is just a stuga in the sticks

But that only works as long as you are not registered as living in your 'second home'